SHANKSVILLE — The Flight 93 National Memorial has partnered with EarthCam to livestream the Sept. 11 ceremony on Friday in honor of the 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93.

The ceremony will be attended by President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt and other dignitaries. After consulting the Families of Flight 93, and in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the observance will be closed to the public.

The Flight 93 National Memorial will close at sunset on Thursday and reopen Friday after the ceremony. The entrance to the Flight 93 National Memorial will remain gated. Flight 93 National Memorial Superintendent Stephen M. Clark said, “After consulting with the U.S. Office of Public Health and the Families of Flight 93, I believe this closure will minimize overcrowding and allow for a safe memorial observance during this unprecedented time.”

“The Families of Flight 93 applaud the National Park Service decision to make this year’s commemorative service at the Flight 93 National Memorial available to the world via a live stream,” said Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93. “These measures have been taken to respect and protect visitors in this time of COVID-19, while at the same time continuing to honor the undaunted courage of the heroes of United Flight 93.”

The observance offered courtesy of EarthCam will be a live, free, convenient way to view the ceremony, making it accessible to millions of people. EarthCam, a global network of live streaming web cameras, has previously partnered with Flight 93 National Memorial, providing livestream cameras during each phase of the permanent memorial construction and currently including a live camera at the Tower of Voices. The NPS is encouraging visitors to take advantage of the livestream link available at www.nps.gov/flni.

The National Park Service has made efforts to abbreviate the 90-minute ceremony to a “Moment of Remembrance,” which is set to begin at 9:45 a.m. from the Memorial Plaza. Each name of the passengers and crew members will be read aloud with the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance.

Flight 93 National Memorial will open to the public at the conclusion of the ceremony. To provide increased access, the Visitor Center will remain open until 7 p.m. During peak hours, the Visitor Center may delay entry to limit overcrowding and to ensure space for social distancing.

For more information and to find the virtual observance, visit www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/sept11

observance.htm. Additional virtual programs will be made available on the Flight 93 National Memorial Facebook Page.